Australia.com does not support the internet browser you are using. Please upgrade to a more recent browser so that you can explore the destinations and experiences that await you as you plan your Australian holiday.

Welcome to the official Australian tourism website.This site uses cookies.Find out more.

Australia's best hatted restaurants of 2019

Mark down these Australian hatted restaurants - awarded by the Australian Good Food Guide - in your itinerary.

By Karen Tay and Linette Lin

You may be familiar with Michelin starred restaurants, but Australia has its own way of labelling its truly exceptional eateries. The Australian Good Food Guide (AGFG) scores worthy restaurants based on ingredients, taste, presentation, technique, value and consistency of dishes and awards them with up to three ‘hats.’

Delicious dishes from Australia's hatted restaurants

Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year - Restaurant Orana

Restaurant Orana, Adelaide, South Australia

At Adelaide’s Orana, it’s not just food that goes onto a plate - it’s a taste of Australia. Owner and chef Jock Zonfrillo travels to some of the most remote corners of the country to find ingredients for his imaginative dishes. He talks to men and women in Aboriginal communities to learn about traditional bush foods, and how these foods fit into Indigenous culture. Then he brings these ingredients back into the kitchen and turns them into something extraordinary for his customers at Orana.

New Restaurant of the Year - Laura

Laura at Point Leo Estate, Merricks, Victoria

Named after Pt. Leo Estate’s celebrated Jaume Plensa sculpture, Laura is an intimate and refined dining offering on the estate’s stunning property. Located an hour from Melbourne, Laura offers a set menu that tells the story of the Mornington Peninsula. With the choice of four, five or six courses, guests are taken on a culinary journey that embraces the season and the region. Take The Guide’s advice for a memorable experience and go for lunch before touring the sculptures including the restaurant’s namesake, Jaume Plensa's Laura.

Santa Vittoria Coffee Regional Restaurant of the Year - Brae

Brae, Birregurra, Victoria

Each day, the ingredients used at Brae are carefully selected from Brae Farm’s own harvest of organic fruit and vegetables, as well as from local farms and sustainable producers in Victoria and beyond. Brae’s garden-based cuisine has earned them a three-hatted rating, which further puts Birregurra – a small Victorian town in the Great Ocean Road region - on the culinary map. Its standout dishes include ice oyster, parsnip and apple. As if the delectable dishes aren’t enough, Brae has also been commended by The Australian Good Food Guide for their exceptional wine list.
Address: 4285 Cape Otway Road, Birregurra, VIC

Bar of the Year – The Dolphin Wine Room

The Dolphin Wine Room, Surry Hills, New South Wales

Located within The Dolphin Hotel in Sydney’s stylish suburb of Surry Hills, The Dolphin Wine Room is led by the exceptional team from Bondi’s famous Icebergs Dining Room and Bar. The cosy wine room features a menu bursting with new-wave producers and glorious Italian-style share plates. At the end of the bar is the salumi cabinet, and no visit is complete without a plate of sweet, nutty salami spiked with black pepper.

Wine List of the Year – OTTO Ristorante

OTTO Ristorante, Brisbane, Queensland

Riverside views, sparkling glassware and warm hospitality are just a few of the elements that make OTTO Brisbane irresistible. This modern Italian eatery overlooks the Brisbane River to the iconic Story Bridge, serving up great Australian ingredients in a contemporary Italian style. Along with exquisite food, OTTO also serves up an extensive wine list. Thanks to the Coravin system - where small amounts of wine can be taken from a bottle without oxygenating it - several premium Australian and Italian wines are available as a taste or full glass. Alternatively, go big with a magnum bottle of champagne and celebrate.

*Product Disclaimer: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator’s website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD). Tourism Australia makes no representations whatsoever about any other websites which you may access through this website. Some websites which are linked to the Tourism Australia website are independent from Tourism Australia and are not under the control of Tourism Australia. Tourism Australia does not endorse or accept any responsibility for the use of websites which are owned or operated by third parties and makes no representation or warranty in relation to the standard, class or fitness for purpose of any services, nor does it endorse or in any respect warrant any products or services by virtue of any information, material or content linked from or to this site.

{"PageInfo":{"component":"PageInfo"},"Hero":{"component":"Hero","subTitle":"","title":"Australia's best hatted restaurants of 2019","playerId":""},"ImageMapWithCityLink":{"component":"ImageMapWithCityLink"}}